Emma Hayes Textiles

We’re putting the spotlight on suppliers! 

I’m so excited to showcase the talent, energy, and creativity that sits behind a few of our favourites, starting with Emma Hayes Textiles.

Emma Hayes Textiles is a New Zealand based design company with a vision to “create beautiful textiles for beautiful spaces”. Oh how we relate. Wallcoverings, fabrics and accessories are a major weapon in our style armoury. Thank you Emma for your generous time, we loved learning more about your company and the big heart behind it.

I’m curious to learn how you discovered (and why you chose) textiles and wallcoverings, and what was your artistic background leading up to this point?

Growing up I always wanted to do something creative to a commercial end. I have a Bachelor of Design degree and originally worked in graphic design and advertising both in NZ and offshore. On return to NZ I joined the womenswear label Cybèle. I was able to put my graphic skills to use across many areas of the brand including textile design and development. It was an exciting time to be developing textiles and we were really interested in print and how different placements of a design could work on the body. It seemed like textile design had not had a huge focus in New Zealand compared to other disciplines, and there were exciting things to be explored! 

After many years working to a fashion calendar it was time for a change of pace, and after a lack of finding pieces for my own home, a foray into the interiors world seemed like a natural progression. I love working with tactile materials. Textiles and wallcoverings combine my love of print with surface, texture and scale. 

Your product designs have a beautiful fluidity and energy, and on your website talks about them having a gestural element. Tell us about your creative process and how you gather research and inspiration from the world around you? 

Being outdoors and being a part of New Zealand’s natural environment provides a lot of inspiration. I like observing and discovering. Many designs begin with an exploration of mark-marking and evolve from there. I don’t always have a set vision in my mind of what the end design will look like. As my work has evolved, the importance of creating calm has grown. I like the idea of creating quiet decoration. 

Your creativity and reach goes well beyond our shores. I’m fascinated to hear more about your path to this success. There must have been many highs and lows behind the milestones, what are a couple of stand-out memories and lessons?

Being invited to speak in Toronto and to be part of partner events in NYC were hugely exciting and memorable occasions. That said, we are lucky to be living in an age where the digital world provides access to global markets, especially now when physical travel will be limited. The relationships that you have with people whether they be near or far is something very important to me. Many of our overseas representatives are independently owned businesses, not too dissimilar to our own - running businesses, looking after family, doing what they love. For every business there is a person behind it.

I couldn’t think of a more perfect collaboration than with Kiwi fashion designer, Juliette Hogan. The synergies between you both feel very aligned. What was the brief for developing a print for their SS19 collection? 

I have great admiration for Juliette - both as a designer and businesswoman. Juliette’s brief was quite open yet clear on what she wanted to achieve. We discussed beauty but with a grittiness or edge of darkness. The project was a great opportunity to work with fluid silks and to consider how pattern works on the body again.

The manufacturing process is a vital link in the chain for your business. Can you tell us about the manufacturing process behind your products and what is important to you?

Quality is hugely important as is experience and communication, environmental responsibility is the thread that runs through it all. For our non-woven papers we work with heritage manufacturers with decades of experience. Wallpaper production is technical and differs from other types of print processes so it is important that our partners are versed on the hurdles that can occur. We work with more than one manufacturer so we can produce our products close to our customer bases and reduce our environmental impact. As we are producing something that will exist in people’s homes and workspaces its important that it is not made with toxic chemicals and so we prefer water based inks and FSC certified papers. Our commercial grade paper is made from recycled plastic bottles.

You shared a picture of your triplet boys on Instagram recently. You must thrive under pressure! How would you describe yourself in just a handful of words?

I thrive on being busy but have come to appreciate the little things. After having triplets, the chance to have a cup of tea while its still hot will always be treasured.

What do you look for when picking a candidate to join an internship programme at Emma Hayes?

A can do approach and willingness to learn

Tell us about your ideal day off?

A day with my boys - exploring forest or beach. Last summer we spent a day exploring the North Head tunnels, then swimming at Cheltenham beach. It was the best.